A Malfoy Marriage of Convenience
by CaramelSweetness66
Summary: Draco and Hermione are convinced to marry based on the idea that their union can improve wizarding relations after the fall of Voldemort. Can this marriage of convenience become a marriage of love?
1. Chapter One

A Malfoy Marriage of Convenience – Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** The characters and some places mentioned in this story belong to J.K. Rowling. The plot and any new characters seen throughout are mine.

The first time I put out this story, I disclaimed faithfully for quite a while. I finally couldn't stand it anymore, so this is my first and last disclaimer.

**A/N: **It's been a looooong time dear readers! I know it's kind of weird for my first update in a long time to be for a story that many of you have already read. It's really a very long story . . . however, I will treat you the short version. The original version of this story was removed from due to the fact that there was a complaint made about the rating. Even though I tried my best to keep it rated PG-13, obviously, there were one or more persons who disagreed with my choice of rating. I changed the rating on my other story just in case I decided to continue it, but after I received no support from the site about getting a copy of my story e-mailed to me (my computer had been reformatted recently and I had no copy of the story), I dropped for a good couple of months.

I've missed writing recently and would like to post the story again. I guess I'll write back up to chapter 15 if I don't get bored half way there and decided if I want to continue with fanfiction after that. I haven't really written anything since my last update and I am probably pretty rusty. Hopefully I don't do too horrible a job on this . . . I'm pretty certain I can't make it 100 the same to the other story, but I will really try . . . and if I'm lucky, perhaps I can improve it a little bit.

Anyway . . . on with the story . . .

* * *

"And now may I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy!" Professor Dumbledore announced with a wide smile. His words were greeted with wild applause from the assembled audience. "You may now," he told the handsome groom "salute your bride."

Cameras were readied for the most magical moment of the ceremony as Draco carefully lifted the veil to reveal his bride. _'I can't believe I'm about to kiss the little Mudblood!' _he thought. Although he had blinked a few extra times as she walked down the aisle, just to ensure that the vision of loveliness was his intended, he had no desire to touch her in any way. Although he was past his childhood ways, it had been ingrained in him to think of Mudbloods as dirty and he couldn't help thinking it, regardless of outgrowing the belief. He took hold of her slim waist rather reluctantly and drew her towards him.

Hermione held her breath. The moment that she had been dreading the most had finally come to pass. Draco's lips were inching ever nearer to her . . .

Draco sighed inwardly. He had agreed to this, and, as a Malfoy, some of the greatest masters of deception in the wizarding world, he could sure as hell do this and make it look like he liked it! His lips finally touched Hermione's . . . Draco was pleasantly surprised to find that his new bride tasted like an exotic blend of strawberries and cream . . .

Hermione sighed slightly, allowing Draco to more thoroughly kiss her. As every colour of the rainbow flashed before her blissfully shut eyelids, she practically forgot whom she was kissing and why. Unfortunately, as the joyous shouts from the guests increased in volume for every added second that they kissed, Hermione recalled the circumstances. As delicately as possible, she withdrew from Draco's embrace. To her slight surprise, he seemed shocked that it had suddenly come to an end. If she didn't know better, she would have thought he might have let it last quite a bit longer.

Draco was concealing his astonishment. His little wife could kiss! Who would have thought that the mousy girl he'd met on the train to Hogwarts would turn out to be such a fantastic kisser? He really didn't have time to dwell on it right now. Offering her his arm, they led the procession back down the aisle.

* * *

Hermione looked around her room one last time. It was her first night here as a married women, last night had been the last that she would sleep in it. She still couldn't believe that she had done it. She had actually married Malfoy! The wedding had been beautiful, her gown stunning, her groom handsome and attentive . . . but it had all been an act. Hermione thought back to what had led her to this point . . .

_"The wizarding world has finally come to grips with the demise of Lord Voldemort,"_ Professor McGonagall had said. _"Slowly, wizards and witches everywhere are forgetting to be afraid. They want their lives to return to normal. This is why I asked to see you both today. As I have taught both of you at Hogwarts and you have been chosen as Head Boy and Head Girl for the year, I knew that I could count on you. Positions like yours within the school would make a profound difference in the ideas of the students at Hogwarts. If we begin with changing the minds of the youth in regards to this very pressing issue in our society, we look towards an improvement in the future generations as the children of tomorrow are reared without prejudice."_

Hermione had been confused. _"What do you want us to do Professor?"_

_"During the reign of Voldemort, the prejudices towards Halfbloods and those of Muggle descent became an endless struggle. He reigned terror over them and taught much of our world to think of them as inferior. You, Mr. Malfoy, come from a prestigious Pureblood family, who never made their disdain of the other bloodlines a secret. Miss Granger, you hail from a Muggle family. A union between the two of you would show the wizarding world that peace and unity among one another, regardless of their blood, _is_ possible," _Minerva McGonagall had replied.

_"A union?"_ Draco had asked. _"You want us to become friends to show that unity among all wizards is possible?"_

_"No Mr. Malfoy,"_ the professor had answered, _"in order to display this the most effectively, the two of you would have to marry . . ."_

. . . So here she was, married to Malfoy. Yes, she was old enough to be legally married, but was she ready? Hermione shut her eyes tightly for a moment. She had not only just given up one of the most important days of her life for Malfoy, but she had made vows that were meaningless to her. She wouldn't cry . . . she would _not_ cry.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in!" she called, hurrying to pull herself together. After spending all day pretending to be the blushing bride, she would not let it fall to pieces now. Her three closest friends Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley entered the room.

Running towards her, Ginny bear hugged Hermione. " 'Mione, you were just stunning today! The ceremony and reception were perfect!"

Hermione pasted on a wide smile. "Thank you Ginny. Thank you so much for everything. Putting on my shower, helping me with the planning, assisting with the packing of my trousseau . . ." Hermione laughed like she was truly amused. "Without you, this whole day might never have happened!"

Ginny grinned. "You're my very best girlfriend Hermione! The maid of honour always throws the shower! Really . . . what are friends for?"

Hermione hugged Ginny, wishing all the while that Gin had helped her prepare to marry the man of her dreams.

"Don't know what all the fuss was about!" Ron said, gently pulling his sister out of the way by the back of her dress and pulling Hermione into his arms for a hug. "I still say you could have saved a lot of money by doing it my family's backyard. The yard gnomes could have escorted the bridesmaids and Mum could have made some of her special peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. _That's_ what I would have called a wedding!"

"_That's_ why no decent girl will have you!" Hermione said with a laugh, pushing him away jokingly.

Harry laughed too. "Ron's right Hermione and Ginny. Don't deny it! What's all of the fuss about anyway? Take the dress for example; as lovely as you looked in it Hermione, where are you going to wear it again? I say that one of the best parts of being a man is that wedding plans take care of themselves. All I have to do is wear an outfit that I can return and show up!"

After sharing the laughter, Ron sobered. "Seriously though Hermione, we were glad to share this day with you. You seemed so set on it, that if you aren't careful, people will actually think you like Malfoy!"

Hermione smiled a little from Ron's joke, but she was also starting to tear up. She would let them assume that it wasn't from a broken heart . . . they should have said these words to her when she was really in love . . . instead, she would let them believe that she was just incredibly touched by their kind words.

"You know that we support you if this is what you really want Hermione," Harry added. "You're like our sister. If Malfoy ever makes you cry . . . we know a few Unforgivable Curses we won't hesitate to use on him."

Hermione laughed through her tears and hugged Harry, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "You guys know how much I love you right?" she asked them teasingly.

"Yes we know," Ron sighed dramatically. "You were forced to marry Malfoy since you couldn't choose between us. Don't worry, we understand."

The group was laughing when Mrs. Granger called to her daughter from downstairs.

"Hermione!" she cried. "The cab's here for you dear! Ask Harry and Ron to bring down your remaining things!"

Hermione took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly. Ginny reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. All joking aside, the boys grabbed the last two bags by the door. Hermione's three friends exited the room ahead of her. Giving the bedroom of her youth one last look, Hermione turned off the light and shut the door on her childhood.

* * *

Draco looked over at his sleeping wife. He had been staring out the window of the airplane, stewing about the fact that his new bride had insisted that they go their honeymoon the Muggle way. Regardless of the luxury provided with their first class tickets, it irked him that they simply couldn't have Flooed to their destination. He wanted to say something, but looking at her now stopped him. He took in the peach tones of her skin, the hair that had once been unruly, but now hung in silky auburn waves, and the classically lovely features of her face. Draco idly wondered when she had become such a beauty and where he had been when she had made the transformation. As these thoughts ran through his mind, others began to form. He remembered the chocolate depths of her eyes that she had often looked at him from under lowered lashes today while she played the role of his blissfully happy new wife. With a smile, he recalled how charming it could make her look. He remembered holding her in his arms at the reception as they danced and noticing the distinctly feminine shape of her small body. At the mere memory, Draco shut his eyes tightly and looked away from her. He was playing with fire if he thought he could _truly_ make Hermione Malfoy his wife, regardless of how appealing the idea was becoming. Just recalling her sweet kiss at the ceremony and others that had followed at the ceremony made him want to pull her into his arms. Trying to focus on anything but his gorgeous bride beside him, Draco asked a stewardess for a glass of champagne and trained his eyes out the window again.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I hope that this came out half way decently. I know that I changed certain parts and hopefully they were satisfactory.

I meant to ask before, but if anybody is in the habit of saving stories for their own reading pleasure, or knows someone who might have liked my story enough to keep it on their computers, could you please attempt to send it to me? It would really make me happy to have the original back even though I don't plan on putting that version back on again.

As always, I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE to hear from my readers and find out what they thought of the chapter. Please try to review . . . remember how much I love the "beefy" ones. (Which reader was it that thought "beefy" was so funny again? LoL!) Anyway, I'll try to keep up with the story. I am pretty sure that I'll have the first couple of chapters right as far as the main idea goes, but hopefully, I can count on my readers to help me out as I go along.

CaramelSweetness66


	2. Chapter Two

**A Malfoy Marriage of Convenience- Chapter 2**

**A/N:** So far most of the reviewers haven't read this story, which might turn out to be a good thing. At least a repeat of the story won't bore past readers out their minds; however, it would be so nice to hear from more of the readers of the original so you can tell me how you think I'm doing in comparison to the first version of the fic. I'm pretty sure that I remember . . . sort of . . . what happens in this chapter. Who knows, at some point I might start making new things up. **_Sigh_** If only I could refer to the original . . . it would make this so much easier. On the bright side, I might not be repeating things so much . . . there were definitely some parts I wanted to change . . . and I suppose having the story on hand would mean I wouldn't be motivated enough to make really significant changes.

Anyway . . . enough chit chat . . .

* * *

The honeymoon suite was absolutely gorgeous. Hermione had been in some beautiful hotels, but the penthouse suite that Draco had secured for them topped any accommodations she had visited with her family in the past. She took in the marble flooring and elegant furnishings. Delighted with the study and sitting room, Hermione decided to search for her bedroom to no avail. Draco was off in the master bedroom putting away his luggage for their two week stay and Hermione entered the spacious quarters with its king sized canopy bed.

"Draco?" she called when she didn't immediately see him. "Where are you?"

"In here," was his reply from the closet.

Hermione pulled the door of the vast walking closet a little wider and watched Draco flick his wand to and fro, arranging his wardrobe to his taste. "Draco, where am I going to sleep?" she inquired.

Draco cast Hermione a quick glance and then returned to his task. "In here with me," he told her in a matter of fact tone of voice.

These words took a few moments to sink in as Hermione was sure that she had either misheard or Draco was joshing her. "What do you mean "in here with you" Malfoy?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.

Draco didn't even bother to spare her another look. "In . . . here . . . with . . . me," he repeated.

"Excuse me!?" Hermione snapped. "You know, I honestly believe that I have put up with way more than any other women would have under the circumstances! I have regretted every single move we've made since I agreed to marry you. As it happens, I have no desire to get into a bed with you like the lovely little couple we're pretending to be! You need to call the front desk and have this problem rectified immediately!"

Draco took a moment's pause from his work and raised an eyebrow. "Hermione lower your voice. We don't need passer-by overhearing and assuming that there is already trouble in paradise. As for the room, I regret to inform you that we will not be moving. What would people say if they knew that I had married you and slept in a different room? Malfoys don't leave their brides unattended Hermione. Besides, doing so would defeat our purpose. We would have put on that giant wedding for nothing if we were planning to let people believe that we weren't going to live as a happily married couple."

Hermione grudgingly admitted that he was right, but she wasn't going to tell him so. She was going to let this one go, but on her terms. "Malfoy, this is really all about you not wanting people to know that I don't want to sleep with you! Even though I am a strong believer that you are a selfish jerk, I am too tired to argue about this anymore - I've had enough to deal with as it is. So listen to me Draco," she said, "listen to me very carefully. You have won this little argument, but I will warn you. If you so much as touch me during the night in the hopes of getting some action, you will be sadly disappointed. I will not compromise myself any further for you and so help me Merlin, I will not be held accountable for my actions if you try anything."

Draco's eyes widened, but then he carefully masked any visible emotion. She became a rather sexy creature when she was angry. The way her eyes were flashing was really getting to him . . . He speechlessly watched her efficiently flick her wand and angrily mutter a simple incantation that sent all her belongings flying neatly to their respective places. He couldn't, however, allow her to have the last word. "Touching you, Hermione, was the very last thing on my mind," he lied.

His wife glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "I'm going to take a shower," she announced, grabbing the necessary items, and then slamming the bathroom door behind her.

Draco stood motionless for a few moments, trying to get a handle on what had just occurred. Within the past twenty-four hours, Hermione had deceived hundreds of people, put him in his place, and made threats on his life. Recalling how sweet and innocent she always seemed in school, but how different she was behind closed doors, it occurred to him that his little wife had untold secrets. He had never wanted a girl more.

* * *

Hermione carefully removed the pins from the beautiful upsweep she'd had for her wedding. Shedding her clothes and stepping into a hot shower, she reflected on her situation.

Her mother had been tearful in the front pew; her father had walked her down the aisle and reluctantly released her to a new life. It had taken a long time to convince them to let her marry. She'd had to force them to believe that she was marrying for love – they would want her to have nothing less. Tears began to fall as the guilt from her deception overcame her.

Draco's mother had seemed happy enough about their union. She had kissed her after the ceremony, telling her that she had lost hope that her son would ever have a happy marriage as long as his father continued to control his life. She was so pleased that he had found such a beautiful, intelligent girl to marry and her husband would never be able to spoil the day. Vaguely amused, Hermione was able to recall the phrase "it could always be worse." With Lucius Malfoy out of the way, her wedding day had been far easier to tolerate than it might have been with him meddling.

Regardless, she had still compromised her own happiness by entering into this arrangement. The years would pass them by and they would undoubtedly grow to resent one another more and more. They would hardly have an amiable relationship, let alone have a . . . passionate one . . . and Hermione would be lonely until death did them part while he kept a parade of mistresses.

Shutting off the shower and stepping out, Hermione grabbed a plush towel and wrapped herself in its softness. Heading towards the sink and glancing at her reflection, she took in her red eyes and expression of dismay. Hermione shook her head sharply. She would _not _fall apart over Malfoy and her situation. Turning on the cold water, she splashed her face with it. There – much better. While she brushed her teeth, she decided that she was going to make the best of this. Her circumstances were hardly fatal – she had faced worst problems with Harry and Ron in the past. Feeling slightly refreshed, she exited the bathroom door with her game face on.

* * *

Draco, who was sitting in a chair and flicking through a paper, watched Hermione flounce over to the dressing table and begin brushing her beautiful hair. When she tilted her head to the side, he glanced at her elegant neck and the delicate shell of her ear. Her profile was pretty too - gorgeous cheekbones and pouty lips just begging to kiss and be kissed. Draco's mind began to wander . . .

"What!?" Hermione demanded off him, halting her brush in her hair and eyeing him through the mirror. "Do you have something to say to me Draco?"

Forcibly pulled from thoughts that were beginning to turn wicked and rather embarrassed to have been caught staring, but unwilling to say so, Draco drew himself up. "Nothing at all my darling wife," he replied in a scathing voice. "I suppose I was simply experiencing a moment of shock. I am still coming to terms with the fact that you and I will be together until our deaths."

"Funny you should say that," Hermione told him, resuming her brushing, but continuing to look at him through the mirror's reflection. "Similar thoughts occurred to me in the shower. If you were worth the trouble, I might have considered attempting to drown myself."

"Well I'll thank you for reconsidering," Draco responded lightly, cracking his paper and returning to it. "It would have been quite the mess for housekeeping and a stain on the Malfoy name. Imagine – the bride of barely a day committing suicide."

"Don't flatter yourself Malfoy," Hermione shot back, standing and walking towards the beautiful king-sized bed. "Your father sullied the Malfoy name enough by himself."

Draco gulped inwardly when she let her robe drop to the floor, exposing the silk white nightie she was sporting beneath. If she were any other women, he would already be making his way to join her on the bed and relieve her of any clothing between them. He considered her warning from earlier. He was already eating the words he had said in response.

"Now, I am going to bed," Hermione went on as she turned back the sheets. "I'll see you in the morning. If you should feel the urge to find a nice tart tonight, don't bring her back here and shower before you get in this bed. Goodnight." With that, she flicked off the lamp beside her and closed her eyes.

Draco was completely taken aback by the turn of events. Hermione Gran- err . . Malfoy – certainly had more spirit than he had previously thought. She had actually had the last word on him. His little wife didn't just have a nice ass; she had a mouth on her too. If she kept this up, he was thinking as he got up to take his shower, he wouldn't be able to control his desire for her. A wise man once said that enemies made the best lovers and Draco was beginning to think it wasn't such a bad idea.

* * *

Upon exiting the bathroom, Draco, clad in his boxers, slid into the bed beside his wife. The cold shower he had taken had hardly helped, but smelling her fresh scent about an arm's length away was not helping his level of comfort. He lay on his back turned his head towards her. She was prettier when she was sleeping. He realized that there had been lines of stress on her face during the day that had vanished as she slept. He found himself wishing that he could pull her into his arms and have his way with her . . . put a smile on her angelic face. Draco groaned and shut his eyes tightly, trying to think of anything but her.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, hopefully I did an okay job on this chapter. I actually started it the day after posting the first chapter, but I felt it wasn't up to snuff and didn't begin again until today, many months later. I hope everyone enjoys it. Please review, review, review – I barely remember what happens next and any ideas for continuation or reminders of events would be most appreciated.

I am still wondering (though I have basically lost hope) if anyone has the story on their computers. A friend suggested I ask and hopefully, she's right. If you do, or know someone who does who can send it to me, please let me know in a review and I will get back to you about it.

Anyway, as always – happy reading!

CaramelSweetness66


	3. Chapter Three

**A Malfoy Marriage of Convenience – Chapter 3**

**A/N:**Hello dear readers!! It has been an extremely long time since I have even signed onto , let alone actually posted an update! I know people have been reviewing this story all the way up to this past summer, so at least I know that some people are still interested in reading it. I have actually found one person who may have a copy of the original story, and this is actually the only thing motivating me to get back to the writing of this fic. Let's all cross our fingers that I manage to get my story back!

Either way, I know that you are probably eager to see how badly a rusty writer can mess up this chapter, so here we go . . .

. . . I have to say – I wrote that note literally whatever many number of years ago it was when I last updated. One day I started, then never finished. Well regardless . . . no one can say I don't attempt to finish a project, not matter how long it takes! LoL!

**********

Hermione sighed and shifted a little, the morning sun was insisting that she get up and begin her day. For some reason, though she had slept wonderfully, she simply wasn't ready to get up. She felt so warm and safe where she was that she didn't want to leave and face the day, in fact, she didn't even want to open her eyes. The practical side of her won in the end though. Despite being on honeymoon with Malfoy, she could still get up and have a lovely breakfast, do a bit of shopping, and see the sights. With a renewed sense of purpose, Hermione began to ease her way up from the bed, but pressure on her back stopped her. Her eyes snapped open. She found herself looking into the face of her oh-so-handsome husband.

There was a moment of awkward silence as she realized she had somehow found herself lying atop her new spouse during the night, and Draco realized he held her so closely, it seemed like he'd had no intention of letting her go.

No wonder she hadn't wanted to move! His chest was much broader than she expected it to be – strong shoulders, hard muscle, warm flesh. Just thinking about him like this made her want to curl up against him and rub her cheek against his chest. She shook her head slightly. It was early . . . she must be really confused.

Meanwhile, Draco admired the curtain of auburn curls framing her face in the morning light. Had she always been this pretty? And why hadn't he noticed how womanly her curves were? Why hadn't he concocted plots to lure her warm, feminine figure into a broom closet back at Hogwarts?

Finally, Hermione cleared her throat and wriggled away. "Malfoy," she acknowledged, blushing, and then making a beeline to the bathroom.

When the door snapped shut behind her, Draco dragged a hand over his face and groaned. How the hell did he get himself into this situation? A girl finally managed to lasso him into marriage and he gets the only one in the entire world who would not let him lay a hand on her. After the steamy dreams he'd had with Hermione in the lead role the night before, he couldn't even be disgusted with himself for lusting after his sworn enemy – at this point, he was too far gone.

**********

'_Merlin, that was embarrassing,'_ Hermione thought, as she finished rolling her hair into a bun. Slipping on a headband to keep errant curls out of her face on the beach, she assessed her appearance in the mirror. Her pretty green bikini was definitely suitable if she planned on flirting with some cute surfers, she decided. Hermione sighed. Better not further complicate this trip with another guy she never intended on speaking to again. She quickly threw on a little summer dress and opened the door.

She immediately spotted Malfoy in his boxers . . . doing push-ups? Hermione raised an eyebrow. She never would have thought, but then again, he certainly wasn't rail thin like he'd been in school. Frankly, however, it probably wasn't a good idea to stand here admiring the rippling muscles in his back.

"I'm heading out," she called to him, walking towards the door. "See you . . . sometime . . . eventually . . . whatever. Just later," she added awkwardly.

"Where are you going?" he asked her, without losing his rhythm.

Hermione stopped and turned her skeptical eyebrow directly towards him. "The beach. Why? Are you planning to set a curfew?" she snapped.

Draco faltered slightly. His new wife was going out practically naked? She would be wet and gleaming in the sunshine? Now he was a man who liked to know others admired the woman he was with, but somehow, this was different. He was _married_ to this girl. He couldn't have other men sizing up what was his – especially when she was wearing so little - outside of his line of sight. He leapt to his feet in one graceful motion and began stretching out.

"That sounds like an excellent idea," he said. "I think I'll join you."

"What?" Hermione demanded. "Don't you have other things you want to get done today?"

"If I were particularly sensitive, I might think you didn't want me to join you," Draco replied, heading into the bathroom and grabbing his toothbrush.

"I don't want you to come!" Hermione said with a little stomp of her foot that she couldn't control. "I just wanted to head out for a little swim, read on the beach, and spend some time with my own thoughts. Haven't you got some work to do? Friends to see in the area? Maybe some letters to write or something?"

Draco took his time, then rinsed before answering. "I'm on my honeymoon, Grang- Hermione," he replied. "People don't typically focus on paperwork right after they get married. They focus on each other." He made very direct eye contact with her. "I'd hate to be the only groom who didn't have any fun with his bride."

Hermione's heart rate picked up slightly. She hoped he couldn't tell somehow. It sounded like he was promising her something.

'_Get a hold of yourself Hermione!'_ she scolded herself. _'So your husband's cute. There are tons of other cute boys in the world! Stop acting like a ninny!'_

She looked away blushing as he started to change into swimwear with the door open. It wasn't the end of the world, she thought. Perhaps she could escape him later if an opportunity presented itself.

***********

Some of these guys actually did not realize who they were dealing with. Draco was more than considering tossing out some unforgivable curses on some of the ridiculous beach jocks throwing admiring glances at Hermione. He knew what they were thinking – the exact same thing he was – and he didn't like it. Meanwhile, the object of admiration, who had just emerged from the water like some sort of Bond girl, sat down on her beach towel and grabbed another one out of her bag to dry herself off.

"How's the water?" he asked, leaning closer to her on one elbow. Good. He noticed one idiot who had clearly been planning to approach her head in another direction, looking disappointed.

"It's great!" Hermione said grinning, so happy to be doing something relaxing that she almost forgot who she was talking to. "Are you planning to get in at all? You've been lying here for about an hour."

"Maybe later," he said, thinking she was so cute when she was animated. She even had dimples.

Just then, a shadow appeared and Draco squinted up into the face of a woman. With the sun behind her, he couldn't see any of her features, but when she knelt down beside him, he nearly groaned in annoyance. What was Violet Demoy doing here?

"Draco!" she crooned, smiling widely. "What a surprise!"

"Yeah. Surprise," he agreed weakly. This was not a girl he wanted to see. She was borderline as love struck as Pansy, and with his mother's close ties to her mother, it had always been pressed upon him to be nice to her, regardless of how homely or clingy she was. Frankly, he had barely avoided inviting her to the wedding. Her family had been vacationing since school let out and were unable to make it – they hadn't even heard the news yet.

"You look amazing Draco," she purred, sounding more like she had a sore throat than like a siren.

Hermione, of course, watched the entire exchange with amusement.

"You know," Violet said, "I'm having my birthday party on this beach tonight. Dinner, dancing, the whole nine. You should definitely come out for that. You could even be my escort," she added, blinking wildly in an attempt to flirt.

Draco strongly considered declining the invitation. He certainly didn't want to celebrate with this girl, but it wasn't like he had other plans. He glanced at Hermione and smiled slightly. Of course, bringing his new bride out to the festivities would definitely put a boundary on Violet's advances in the future – she wasn't quite as bold as Pansy.

In the same moment, Hermione's hopes rose. If Draco went out for the evening, she could have her own fun without him, while drumming up all the reasons she despised him. The afternoon had been entirely too pleasant, and she couldn't afford to let her guard down with him.

"I'll be there," Draco said with a slow, lazy smile, and Hermione was thrilled. "But I can't be your escort." Looking to Hermione, he took her left hand and caressed it with his thumb. "It wouldn't do to bring my wife to a party and spend the whole night lavishing attention on someone else."

"What!?" both girls demanded.

"Do you really think I would leave you at home while I danced the night away, Hermione?" he asked her, kissing her hand.

Hermione's pulse picked up. Violet looked borderline nauseous.

"You got married Draco?" Violet asked, glancing at Hermione's exquisite wedding band and attempting to sound polite. "When?"

"Very recently actually," he said. "We just arrived here for our honeymoon yesterday."

"Oh. Well," Violet said, clearing her throat awkwardly and standing. "You should both be there then. It starts at seven." With that, she hurried away.

Hermione's hopes plummeted. She had to face the facts. She was battling a really strong attraction to her own husband and the silly git wasn't going to give her enough room to get over it.

**********

"Draco darling!" Mrs. Demoy said, hurrying over to greet him when he and Hermione arrived later that evening. "What a pleasure!"

The woman, as unattractive as her daughter, swept him into a wide embrace and kissed him on both cheeks. "Has Violet seen you yet? She'll be thrilled! You know she's always carried a torch for you!" she said with a wink.

_'Yeah, more like a torch for the Malfoy fortune,'_ Draco thought.

"Yes actually, earlier today. I introduced her to my new wife. Have you met Hermione Malfoy?" he asked with a sly smile, laying a hand on the small of Hermione's back and gently nudging her forward.

The woman was so stunned, both her chins wobbled in shock. She appraised Hermione slowly, taking in the stunning auburn curls, curved figure, and pretty face.

"Well," she said, clearing her throat. "She's lovely. Nice to meet you dear."

"It's nice to meet you too," Hermione lied, looking appropriately charming.

"Yes," Mrs. Demoy said uselessly. "Enjoy yourselves then." She grabbed some champagne from a passing waiter, took a long drag from the glass, and headed away.

"You're really enjoying this aren't you?" Hermione said to Draco, pulling away from him.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, signaling for some glasses for themselves.

"The shock factor," she replied. "You keep dropping the fact that we're married like some sort of high impact bomb."

"Well, it's going to come out eventually," he responded casually, handing her a glass. "It's not my fault we keep running into women who are so devastated I am taken for life."

Hermione rolled her eyes. If she thought this was going to be a long night while she got ready, she wasn't far wrong. Dozens of people swirled around greeting them, and at least half were outrageous flirts who looked crestfallen when he announced his recent nuptials.

After the, admittedly delicious, dinner, Hermione was just about ready to go home. Sitting around while other women fluttered their eyelashes at her not-so-darling husband was boring her, and all the casual touches Draco fit in while he looked appropriately besotted with her had her unusually tightly wound. She really needed to get away from him.

"Malfoy," she began. "I'm getting a little tired and . . ."

"I hope you're having a good time Draco," Violet said, appearing out of nowhere. She gave a quick, catty half smile to Hermione, then looked back at Draco. "You should really get up and dance with me. You've been sitting for ages."

"Actually, my wife and I were just about to fit in one quick dance before heading back," he said, jumping on an excuse – both to avoid swaying to the music with Violet, and get to press Hermione's lush body close to his. "It's been fun though. Happy birthday."

Leaving a devastated looking Violet at the table, he led Hermione by the hand onto the dance floor.

"You can't keep doing that you know," Hermione said, stifling a small gasp when he pulled her close to him.

"Can't keep doing what?" he whispered near her ear, starting to expertly lead her around the floor.

Barely suppressing a shiver, Hermione hissed back. "Using me as a ploy to avoid things you don't want to do. You've been doing it all day. You avoided escorting a girl you clearly dislike to this bloody party for one."

Draco chuckled. It was deep, masculine sound, and Hermione found herself wishing she heard it more often.

"You focus so much on what I didn't want to do," he said. "Suppose I wanted to bring you this party. Have you considered that I might want to be dancing with you right now?"

He met her eyes and maintained contact as he slowly, deliberately leaned closer to her mouth.

Hermione was shocked at the level of anticipation she felt. She barely had time to register that she may regret this later when his lips touched hers.

The kiss was explosive. Whatever Draco had thought kissing Hermione at the wedding was completely eclipsed by the bursts of excitement all over his body. He couldn't deny the extreme chemistry between them. Right now, he couldn't even figure out when his casual flirtation had become an outright seduction. His hands slipped lower on her back and Hermione sighed against his mouth. He had to be alone with her. Now.

He pulled his mouth away from hers and dragged in a deep breath. Ignoring the knowing looks of passersby, he led Hermione toward the hotel.

**********

The elevator doors slid open and Draco and Hermione, wrapped in an embrace, fairly spun out into the hallway.

Draco couldn't bring himself to stop touching her - mainly, in case the spell their contact had cast broke, and Hermione retreated. But he was also getting drunk on their closeness. The smell of her hair, the taste of her lips, the warm silkiness of her skin.

He muttered a spell to unlock the suite doors, and quickly had her pressed against a wall.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured, nibbling on her earlobe, then raining kisses along the column of her neck.

With his thumb, he gently slid a strap of her summer dress off her smooth shoulder, following the path of his fingers with his lips.

Hermione's knees weakened, and when she slid into his arms, he scooped her up and carried her towards their bedroom.

**********

**A/N: **Well. That's the chapter. Finally. Several years later. LoL! I hope those of you who have been waiting all this time really enjoyed it.

I do plan to continue as time permits. I am thinking to go in a similar direction to what I had in the original (though, as the years pass, that storyline gets foggier and foggier). Of course, I always love your reviews and ideas are welcome – better still would be if that person who said they kept an original on their computer could send it to me so I know which direction to take for sure! (Hey . . . it was worth a try). :-D

Like always – happy reading!

~ CaramelSweetness66


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